National Rural Health Day

In 2010, the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) HRSA Exit Disclaimer created National Rural Health Day (NRHD) on the third Thursday of November, to applaud rural communities in their ongoing efforts to address the unique challenges of accessing and delivering health care services. Ever since, the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) has supported this annual event, showcasing the work that is done across HRSA on behalf of rural health.

Check out the infographics below detailing some amazing statistics from rural healthcare systems!

An estimated 57 million people – nearly one in five Americans – live in rural and frontier communities throughout the United States. “These small towns, farming communities and frontier areas are wonderful places to live and work; they are places where neighbors know each other and work together,” says Teryl Eisinger, NOSORH CEO. “The hospitals and providers serving these rural communities not only provide quality patient care, but they also help keep good jobs in rural America.”

These communities also face unique healthcare needs. “Today more than ever, rural communities must tackle accessibility issues, a lack of healthcare providers, the needs of an aging population suffering from a greater number of chronic conditions, and larger percentages of un- and underinsured citizens,” Eisinger says. “Meanwhile, rural hospitals are threatened with declining reimbursement rates and disproportionate funding levels that makes it challenging to serve their residents.”